Hughes, the New Zealand Test halfback, will definitely miss the round-three fixture after pleading guilty on Monday to shoving referee Chris Butler while trying to make a tackle in last week's win against the Warriors.

By accepting the grade-one contrary-conduct charge, Hughes copped a one-week suspension, as opposed to the two games he would have incurred had he unsuccessfully argued his case at the judiciary.

Munster is yet to play this season because of a groin injury, and the Queensland and Kangaroos five-eighth is unlikely to return on Sunday, leaving the Storm to rely on a makeshift halves pairing of Pezet and Tyran Wishart.

It will be 21-year-old Pezet's 10^th top-grade game, having made his debut in round three last season.

A Valentine-Eleebana junior, Pezet was regarded as one of the most promising young talents in Newcastle's system, starring in the Knights' 2019 Harold Matthews (under-16) grand final victory.

He was being groomed as a likely successor to veteran Mitchell Pearce, but those plans were torpedoed when his father, former Knights recruitment manager Troy Pezet, parted company with the club in acrimonious circumstances in 2020.

After Troy's exit, the Pezets secured a release from the two years remaining on Jonah's contract with Newcastle and immediately linked with the Storm.

After making seven NRL appearances last year, Jonah has started at five-eighth in both Melbourne's games this season, helping them post wins against premiers Penrith and the Warriors.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy described Pezet as "an impressive kid" after beating the Panthers in round one.

"He's a confident kid, too," Bellamy said. "I'm sure he would have been bossing some of them around out there ... some young halfbacks, they sort of get bossed around themselves. But Jonah don't lack confidence."

Meanwhile, Knights coach Adam O'Brien faces a selection dilemma if, as expected, hooker Jayden Brailey is cleared to make his long-awaited return from injury this weekend.

Brailey hasn't played since April 9 last year, when he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in a win against the Warriors, necessitating a knee reconstruction.

The 27-year-old then suffered another setback last month, when a minor hamstring strain ruled him out of Newcastle's pre-season trials.

O'Brien will have to weigh up whether to rush Brailey back into his NRL squad or give him a game or two in NSW Cup to gain match fitness and timing.

Newcastle's incumbent dummy-half, Phoenix Crossland, has racked up 94 tackles in the first two games - second only to Canterbury's Reed Mahoney.

But Crossland has also missed a team-high 14 tackles, and a job-sharing partnership with Brailey would help reduce his workload.

O'Brien will be hoping bench prop Jack Hetherington is fit to tackle the Storm after suffering an ankle injury in last week's loss to North Queensland.

If Hetherington is ruled out, it will be the first game he has missed since arriving at Newcastle last season.